Comet Interceptor Mission

Liftoff Time

No Earlier Than 2029

Mission Details

Comet Interceptor

Wiki

The Comet Interceptor is a robotic spacecraft mission led by the European Space Agency (ESA) planned for a 2028 launch. The spacecraft will be "parked" at the Sun-Earth L2 point and wait for up to three years for a long-period comet to fly by at a reachable distance. The Principal Investigator is Geraint Jones, from the Mullard Space Science Laboratory in the United Kingdom. The maximum cost of the spacecraft is set at €150M, excluding science instruments and launch services.

Sun–Earth L2

3 Payloads

850 kilograms

Rocket

Active
Ariane 62

Active Since 2024

European Space Agency logo

Manufacturer

ESA

Price

$88.00 million

Rocket

Diameter: 5.4m

Height: 62m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 10,350 kg

GTO: 4,500 kg

Liftoff Thrust

8,370 Kilonewtons

Fairing

Diameter: 5.4m

Height: 20m

Stages

2

Strap-ons

2

Launch Site

ELA-4

Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana, France

Fastest Turnaround

159 days 8 hours